Soccer clubs around the world have been spending more money, and it makes sense. Club soccer, like every professional sport, is business.
Chelsea FC is a team in the English Premier League situated in London. It is now worth an estimated $3.2 billion, being the 9th most valuable soccer club in the world, and their new owners have spent over $1.45 billion on new players since taking over in 2022.
In just two summer transfer windows, Chelsea shattered records, paying a staggering $400 million on players like Enzo Fernández, Moisés Caicedo, and Mykhailo Mudryk.
With that sort of spending, you’d expect the players they bought to be experienced, top players. While some players are top players in their position, their lack of experience causes them to be inconsistent and raises questions about their price tag.
The club finished 6th place in their last season, which isn’t bad perse, but it barely got them into the Europa Conference League, which is the lowest tier of the 3 UEFA European Cups despite their lavish signing
It has raised questions, not just about their success on the field but also whether it’s right to spend that much money to win.
At Brophy College Prep, where sports are a huge part of school life, we could ask ourselves similar questions: We take pride in winning championships and our teams’ hard work, but what if Brophy suddenly spent millions of dollars to improve our sports program? Would those victories still feel as earned? Is it fair to spend that kind of money on sports when it could go towards other things?
“I don’t think so,” said Coach Heideman. “I think that would go against everything we built outside of the athletics as, you know, being a well-rounded school.”
If the school were to follow Chelsea’s model, pumping millions into sports to ensure victories, it might undermine the core values of fairness and hard-earned success that the school prides itself on.
“No, I don’t think they would feel as earned.” Said Pato Arguello ‘26. “In the past, Chelsea was not known for spending so much money, relying on their homegrown talents. [However], Cole Palmer, he came from Manchester City’s championship team and he has helped…the rebuild for Chelsea.”
Cole Palmer had 2 hat tricks, 22 goals and 11 assists in 34 appearances in the Premier League in 2023-24, and was bought from Manchester city for 40 million dollars.
“Right now, Brophy has the path from freshman football to JV and hopefully Varsity, and this year… I’ve seen my classmates grow from freshman football to hopefully the state champ team,” Aruguello said. “So I think buying players for millions of dollars will not feel as earned.”
The quotes from Coach Heideman and Pato Arguello reinforce the notion that success feels more rewarding when it is built on development rather than purchasing talent.
Coach Heideman’s emphasis on Brophy’s commitment to holistic growth over lavish spending mirrors Arguello’s observation about Chelsea’s shift from nurturing homegrown players to relying on expensive transfers.
Arguello’s comparison to Brophy’s football path—where players move from freshman to varsity through hard work—highlights how personal growth and team-building are seen as integral to true achievement.
In both cases, the emphasis on organic growth and earned success underscores that true achievement comes not from spending but from dedication, teamwork, and the development of talent.
